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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043970">Traditions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/average_writer/pseuds/average_writer'>average_writer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Offer Me a Soul [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas Fluff, Christmas Special, Christmas Tree, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Interior Decorating, Kisses, No Angst, Spencer Reid is a dad, Traditions, all fluff, just fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:55:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28043970</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/average_writer/pseuds/average_writer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Reid household has a tradition for the first weekend of December. </p><p> </p><p>Literally just Christmas fluff.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Spencer Reid/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Offer Me a Soul [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951306</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Traditions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I remember that first December morning like it had been yesterday. Just like I remembered every single moment Spencer had done something special, and sometimes there seem to be too many of those moments to count. </p><p>I had woken up tangled on the body pillow he had made me start to use. He had talked for hours about the benefits of sleeping with one during the pregnancy. I normally snuggled against him, so when he was gone it was a meager substitute for the man himself but it worked. I didn’t like it as much when he made me use it even when he was home, but with the promise of him still spooning with me I could do. </p><p>The thing is that day, he was home, and as I moved around the bed a little I found no sign of the warmth that his body radiated. I stood up with a  lack of grace that only I could muster at eight months pregnant, finding my slippers I walked to find my boyfriend.</p><p>When I opened the doors my eyes were illuminated by a thousand little glistening lights coming from everywhere around me, the table that had been placed next to the stairs and in front of our door for pictures had a little Christmas village in it. Garland and shiny bows tangled around the stair rail. Christmas lights rolled around everything around me. Somehow the house looked like a Winter Wonderland when yesterday had been lacking any decoration.</p><p>“Good morning! I didn’t hear you waking up”, Spencer chirped in walking out of the kitchen with a tray. “I was supposed to bring you breakfast in bed”, he huffed.</p><p>“What- How-”, I said, my jaw still hanging as my eyes watered taking in the scene, the house smelled like pine and cinnamon and with every second I could feel my heart filling up with hot air, ready to take off at any minute.</p><p>“What do you think? Do you like it?”, he asked, and he looked timid as he looked around.</p><p>“Spencer I love it”, I whispered with my voice breaking. </p><p>He looked proud now as he smiled, walking closer to me and offering me his hand.</p><p>“Let me give you a tour”, he said.</p><p>As we walked around the house I realized just how much thought he had put in this.</p><p>“How long did it take you?”, I asked.</p><p>“Erm-”, he said, bringing his hand to his neck. “I’ve been awake since three-”</p><p>“Spencer”, I reprimanded quickly.</p><p>“I know, but I… wanted to give you a surprise, both of you”, he said bringing his hand to my belly, the little girl seemed to be sleeping still, only rolling around occasionally.</p><p>“We love it, it was very very sweet”, I smiled.</p><p>As we stood in the living room, my eyes going around and taking in every single piece of decor I noticed something missing.</p><p>“Didn’t put the tree up yet?”, I asked, noticing the corner where a table normally was.</p><p>“Well, I was thinking we could go together, pick the tree, and decorate it together, as a family”, he said.</p><p>It could be because the sun wasn’t even up yet, but as his eyes shone reflecting the thousand around us I saw so much hope and happiness. I could only manage to nod as I hugged him as close as I could, his lips kissing my forehead as he held me. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>************</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I peeked through the door, Spencer rocking softly before his eyes met mine.</p><p>“Ready?”, he mouthed.</p><p>I nodded my head enthusiastically.</p><p>He nodded in a calmer way before standing up and placing the sleeping girl on her crib. It was moments like this I was grateful he had made us use the white noise machine with her. He set it running before walking out of the room.</p><p>“Do you think she’ll wake up?”, I whispered.</p><p>“No, I think we tired her enough to have the whole night” He smiled.</p><p>Our little Abby had been our Christmas miracle, so she was short of one year of age as we started the decorating process. Two hours in and I was wondering how he had done this the past year. </p><p>It was exhausting, but definitely worth it.</p><p>“Oh I was so excited about these”, I said, opening and unfolding the custom made stockings I had ordered. Three of them, one with each of our names. “They are so cute”, I shrieked, placing them carefully over the fireplace. Spencer chuckled from where he had been detangling lights for the past hour or so.</p><p>It was definitely tiring, but oh so worth it. By the time we made it to bed we scored three hours of sleep before little Abigail Reid woke us up with her wailing. It had been by far the happiest I had been to jump out of bed and go get her, Spencer coming right behind me.</p><p>“Good morning little angel”, I said, kissing her chubby wet cheek.</p><p>She babbled a little, calming herself down as she eyed us.</p><p>“Good morning Abigail”, Spencer whispered as he stroked her cheek softly. The girl raising her hand to take her dad’s.<br/>After changing her, and making sure she had a hang of her surroundings, we walked out with her. </p><p>It had been definitely worth it, every second of it. I would never forget the way her eyes grew as she looked at her house decorated floor to ceiling with shiny objects. She cooed making grabby hands at things as Spencer walked around the house, naming every foreign object to her. I followed suit, taking pictures as she seemed to be strastrucked by the beauty all around her. </p><p>Exactly like the year before, in the late afternoon we went to get our Christmas tree at the same local farm we had been before. Decorating it ourselves with only two casualties of ornaments, luckily the generic ones. </p><p>“Do you want to help daddy put the star at the top?”, He asked, crouching down, showing the girl her star. </p><p>She was mesmerized as her little hands came to hold it. Spencer smiled widely before collecting her. Carefully. He raised her enough for her to be able to do it, still I came to help as I guided the final touch to sit perfectly. </p><p>“There you go baby”, I said proudly.</p><p>“You see all those puzzle games have helped”, Spencer said proudly.</p><p>I chuckled as we smiled. Abby’s eyes shining in the light of our first family Christmas tree.</p><p>“I love my girls, so so much”, Spencer said, putting his arm around me, I put my head on his shoulder as we stared at our creation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*********</p><p> </p><p>It had been a rough year that year. But it was over, almost over. Not everything bad of course, actually the good greatly outweighed the bad. Our little angels had been born three years after Abby. The twins Sophie and Stephen had continued their sister’s legacy of being born on Holidays, and they had chosen Halloween. </p><p>“Do you think we can make this work?”, I whispered, watching Stephen move around in his sleep.</p><p>Spencer looked at me and then to the double crib. He nodded his head as I smiled up at him.</p><p> </p><p>Every year I seemed to forget how difficult it was, but this year it came with extra challenges. The twins were merely a month old at the time, and we were already kinda used to not having any sleep, but every hour or so our work was interrupted by crying. Having twins meant that if one cries the other does. At one point they even woke up their sister who was sleeping upstairs in her own room. I had managed to get her to our bedroom without her seeing anything, and she fell right back to sleep in our bed. It had been hard to convince myself to not stay as company for a little bit. </p><p>The sun was up when we finished, our eyelids heavy, but the house was deadly quiet. After checking the twins we joined our little one in bed as we drifted to sleep.</p><p>We both were well aware that the twins would have no memory of this, but the way they cooed and wiggled when they saw the decoration was enough reward for us.</p><p>The best moment though, was after we brought the tree home when we were decorating it.</p><p> </p><p>“Abby, you want to help daddy put the star?”, Spencer asked, walking to the little girl who was sitting in front of me.</p><p> </p><p>Stephen was sleeping on the bassinet in the living room, but Sophie was awake as I rocked her softly on the couch.</p><p>“No”, she shook her head. We looked at her in confusion. “Sister does it this time daddy”, he explained.</p><p>“Oh that is very sweet Abby but your sister is too little.”, Spencer explained, the corner of his eyes ringling as he smiled in pride.</p><p>“Mommy can help her”, she explained, as if it was so obvious.</p><p>I smiled proudly at my little girl.</p><p>“You are the best big sister, you know that right”, I asked her. She smiled sweetly before moving aside so I could stand up.</p><p>Carefully, and with Spencer’s help I reached up to place the star at the top of the tree. </p><p>We took a step back as we all stared at it with big smiles.</p><p> </p><p>********</p><p> </p><p>“Okay Okay kids”, I said. Grabbing Stephen and putting him on the bed again. “You know the rules…. You go to sleep and then tomorrow”</p><p> </p><p>“Winter Wonderland”, they chirped overlapping each other.</p><p>“Yes, that is correct, but you need to go to sleep.”</p><p>“But mommy”, Stephen complained.</p><p>“No buts, now-”</p><p>In that moment we heard a soft knocking coming from the door.</p><p>“Are you guys ready for story time?”, Spencer asked. The three kids kneeled on their respective positions in our bed bouncing in excitement. “Okay, but one story time and then everyone sleeps alright?”, he asked.</p><p>They nodded in agreement. </p><p>“No peeking”, he reminded me.</p><p>They nodded again. In that moment another soft knock came from the door.</p><p>“Hey, I just wanted to know if I could still squeeze in some time for some nighttime kisses?”, Diana asked sweetly.</p><p>“Of course”, I said, motioning my head for her to come in. The kids happily hugged their grandma and kissed her cheek.</p><p>They had been so excited when we told them grandma was staying with us for the holidays. Not as excited as Spencer though. I knew it was tough on him sometimes, but Diana had insisted each year, saying that she would just be another person he’d have to care for. She would remind us that we already had our hands full with babies and toddlers in the house, but now the twins were five, and Abby almost eight. We had finally convinced her to come, and she had finally agreed. </p><p>“Goodnight my loves”, she whispered.</p><p>She and I walked out to the hall, after saying our goodnights. Leaving Spencer to tell his bedtime story. Diana looked through the ajar door to her son.</p><p>“I still can’t believe that he has this….”, she whispered.</p><p>I felt my heart flutter.</p><p>“You can join them for story time”, I invited.</p><p>“Oh no, I’m going to help you get started dear.” she said.</p><p>“Oh that is not necessary, really, you can go to bed and get some rest. I know the kids worked you out today”, I replied.</p><p>“Oh, nonsense!”, she waved it off, “I loved every second of it, besides I’m here to be part of the holidays aren’t I?”, she asked.</p><p>And I couldn’t disagree with that. Also It was a lot easier to do it that year. It was the best result too. The kids ran around finding new things that had been added to our Christmas tradition. </p><p>It was also true that saying the more the merrier, because it had been by far the most fun we had at the tree farm. Picking out a beautiful plump tree we got it back home and got to decorating.</p><p>It was crazy the difference between that first tree and this one. Sure the first one had been beautiful but this one had so many personal and meaningful ornaments it was so much more special. The kids had insisted on letting Diana put the star, although she declined at first they almost begged her to do it. </p><p>After that the Christmas tree was complete.</p><p>“Okay kids, what do we say we write our letters to Santa before watching a movie?”, Spencer said, although it wasn’t necessary. They knew the process.</p><p>In fact they were already sitting around the coffee table where we had laid out pencils and paper for them. The three of them got to work, concentrating on their own wishes.</p><p>“What are we asking Santa this year?”, Diana said, sitting next to Sophie as the girl doodled on the paper. Spencer was already helping Stephen spell out a couple of words.</p><p>I smiled before walking to the kitchen to get the sugar cookies, placing them on a tray with some glasses of milk. I was turning around to get the cinnamon when I almost crashed against SPencer.</p><p>“Hey”, I chuckled.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey”, he said in a low register voice, enveloping me in his arms</p><p>“How is the letter writing going?”, I asked. </p><p>I looked up at him as he smiled down at me.</p><p>“Stephen is asking for a shark”, he nodded.</p><p>“Of course he is”, I giggled. “He might not be getting that one”, I joked.</p><p>“No, I don’t think so”, he replied. “What are you asking Santa for?”He asked me.</p><p>I looked up, puckering my lips as if in thought.  “I would ask for a handsome caring husband and a perfect family… but I already got that, and that’s all I need”, I said. “Maybe a kiss?”</p><p>“Oh well you are a lucky one then”, he said. I felt one of his hands travel up, as he stretched his arm on top of us, in his hand he had a mistletoe.</p><p>“Oh would you look at that! Perfect timing”, I giggled.</p><p>He nodded with his lips pressed.</p><p>“I love you Doctor Reid”, I sighed.</p><p>“I love you Mrs Reid”, He replied, his lips traveling to meet mine as they locked on each other’s.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the first one shot of Christmas, I'm planning on putting more out. I hope you gusy read it and like it!</p><p>Reminder this is not beta'd and comments are greatly appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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